Steve Bruce has brought about a remarkable turnaround ever since taking the managerial position at Villa Park, which must be applauded owing to the fact that the club was in complete tatters which he came in. Relegation from the Premier League followed by a horrible start in the 2016-17 campaign of the Sky Bet Championship meant that their already diminished name was to bear another blow.
Even before the Villans kicked the ball, it was believed that they would crawl back to the top tier, but soon, reality set in. Slowly but surely, they have now consolidated under the tutelage of Bruce, though the play-off spots are still miles away. It was certain that a massive overhaul was to kick in during the January transfer window to add more life and boost their chances of a playoff spot.
Aston Villa signed blockbuster names in the shape of Henri Lansbury, Conor Hourihane, James Bree and Birkir Bjarnason though there is still time for eradicating a few other weaknesses that exist, including the lack of a superb name in their frontline. Bruce seems to be in no mood to be complacent with his job as he is keen to make an audacious bid to sign Jordan Rhodes from Premier League outfit Middlesbrough.
The Scottish international has been in the news ever since the transfer window opened and Aston Villa have emerged as a late yet able buyer to lure him into their ranks. Signed form Blackburn for a hefty sum of £11 million, Rhodes has failed to find his feet in the setup of Aitor Karanka and considering a talent that he is, teams have flocked in to make him put pen to paper elsewhere. The 26-year-old was a stupendous asset in the Championship and despite an unattractive spell in the Premier League, he is still believed to be a prized asset.
Rhodes has scored 6 goals in 18 appearances for the Smoggies but with the plethora of notable strikers at the Riverside Stadium, he is frozen out and is available for the right price. Arguably, he could be an upgrade over the options Aston Villa have up front and can nicely fit in their 4-2-3-1 formation.
With the transfer window nearing to its closure, Bruce shouldn’t waste much time to sign this sensational striker whose value must not be wasted on the bench at Boro. He is a proven Championship striker and could hit the ground running at Villa Park if they sign him.
